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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

February 8th Clemson Historic Picture Of The Day

Randy Anderson

1966-2012

Randy Anderson was a quarterback at Clemson from 1984-1987. Anderson competed for the quarterback position in 1985 with Rodney Williams. Williams would eventually win the starting nod over Anderson and become Clemson’s QB for some of the best years in the program’s history.

Anderson past away Tuesday evening. Below are some excerpts from various articles written about Anderson and his battle with Leukemia.

Katie Cruice Smith wrote this article for The Greer Citizen Written in June 2011

It was hardly the way that most people start a ministry, but then Randy Anderson isn’t like most ministers. And By His Stripes Ministry isn’t your typical ministry. Having grown up in Cowpens, Anderson played basketball and football for Broome High School before joining the Clemson Tigers as quarterback from 1984 to 1987.

He returned to make a home with his wife, Angelia, in Spartanburg and became a management recruiter. But in September of 2005, Anderson was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells, and his life was changed in an instant. In 2006, Anderson underwent a double stem cell transplant, using his own stem cells, which cured him of the myeloma. But there were some abnormal stem cells in the batch, causing leukemia to develop and take over his body.

After going through intense chemotherapy treatments earlier this year, Anderson is now cancer-free but is in desperate need of a stem cell donor for the transplant he will be having done at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, as soon as a donor is found. We have two bags left of Randy’s stem cells in storage, said Angelia Anderson, who works in the office for the Minister of Music at Praise Cathedral. But if they use them again, there could be an abnormal stem cell that will start producing Myelodysplastic syndrome, which becomes acute leukemia.

The longer he goes before a stem cell transplant is done, the riskier it is. But it needs to be a very close match, or there can be rejection issues. Currently, a match has been found, but the donor has not yet been located. If the donor decides to not go through with the procedure or is unable to donate, the doctors are looking to one of Anderson’s brothers, who is a 50 percent match.

But instead of sitting around waiting and worrying about his health, the Andersons decided back in 2006 that God needed to be glorified through all of this. It was during Anderson’s time in Arkansas while fighting the cancer the first time that By His Stripes Ministry started to form. God birthed this ministry when we were in Arkansas to give people our hope in Jesus Christ, said Anderson. And we feel that God is about to take this ministry to a whole different level. Anderson combines his testimony as a cancer survivor with his years as an athlete to take the Gospel to places many wouldn’t expect to hear from the Word of God.

While Anderson accepts speaking engagements at sports banquets, churches, and other events, his real passion for the ministry is found out on the playing field. My passion is to tell others about Jesus, said Anderson. Many people don¹t go to church, but they wouldn’t miss a softball game. So we take the Gospel to the softball field. Anderson, who serves as an elder at Praise Cathedral in Greer, began a sports ministry by creating a co-ed softball team and a men’s softball team, who play other area teams.

After each game, Anderson asks the opposing team to pray with them and gives one of his teammates the opportunity to share their testimony. We’ve seen thousands of people give their hearts to the Lord ­ both on and off the softball field, said Anderson. When you’re on God’s team, ultimately you win! Anderson started sharing God’s Word back in 2001 but has only had the desire to tell people about Christ grow more strongly as he has fought his own physical battles.

Cancer was a blessing to us because Paul tells us in the Bible that we are to “count it all joy” and “in all things to give thanks,” said Anderson. We are so at peace with our situation, and we are anticipating ministering while we are in Houston. This is going to be our mission trip!

Once a donor is found, it may be as little as six weeks before the Andersons, along with their three-year-old daughter Savannah and Angelia’s mother, will be making their trip to Houston, where they will have to stay for about three and a half months to make sure that the stem cell transplant is a success. I know God is really in this situation because I have never felt bad, said Anderson. The only setback I’ve had was when I caught the rotavirus from the hospital the first time, but even then I was able to keep working out. I anticipate the same in Houston.

Through it all, Anderson doesn’t feel pity for himself but instead wants to focus on giving God the glory through his trials. God trusts us with this knowing He’s going to get the glory from this, said Anderson. It’s amazing just seeing the number of lives touched by the story that God has written for us. Obviously, one of the biggest challenges for the Andersons is financial, since he will have to take off of work for a few months. In order to raise money for the Andersons, a shotgun Lead the Way Golf Tournament will be held on Aug. 6 at 1 p.m. at the Pickens Country Club. The tournament will be a four-man, captain’s choice with a $60 entry fee per person.